In no way am I new to the gym. For years, I put in the work six days a week religiously. But, while not going regularly, I changed both as a person and in consideration of my health. So, in many ways, my new gym habit has me finding my way again.
Finding My Way: Food
For me, an all-meat way of eating gives me everything I desire. That is, I feel amazing and energized while remaining nourished and satiated. I love the food I eat each day and do not find myself craving unhealthy treats. In my opinion, it doesn’t get much better than that.
The food I eat gives me enhanced mental clarity, which aids in my stoic mindset. My average day consists of three meat-based meals. Typically, I eat eggs and bacon for breakfast with a butter coffee. Post gym, I consume two half-pound bacon cheddar burgers. Then, for dinner, I eat another bacon cheddar burger (2-3 if feeling hungry). Occasionally, I sub in steak or will eat a few sausages.
When I started back on carnivore, I averaged around three pounds of meat per day. Now that I feel nourished and, therefore, less hungry, I average about two pounds of food each day. However, if/when I feel the need to eat more, I will eat it without guilt.
I do not necessarily weigh my food, but I tend to eat the entire amount I purchased, so my weights are all pre-cooked amounts. For the time being, I track everything I eat in an app on my smartphone. For number based people, I eat between 1900-2700 calories per day. When considering my basal metabolic rate and activities, my 1900 calorie days run me 1000-1200 calorie deficits. My fat stores help supplement these deficits.
Finding My Way: Gym
Starting on October 14th, 2019, I began to track every workout that I complete. Before this date, my workouts felt disorganized and less productive. I do not like carrying my phone while working out, so when I first started tracking, I would finish up then input everything into an app post-workout from memory. This way of doing things felt unnecessarily complicated.
On October 24th, I became that girl with the giant notebook at the gym. Over the years, I’ve only witnessed men carrying and writing in a journal during their workouts. Each one of them looked focused and fit, making consistent progress over time. So, in seeing this, I realized the value of tracking every workout.
Now, my notebook, which is a journal/day planner, gets filled with the critical details of each day. I note everything that I think up during my session. My entries include the time I start, how long I spend total, how I feel, which exercises I plan to do/complete, the number of reps, sets, and weights used. I also include typical journal stuff – things I am grateful for, upcoming items I am excited about, an affirmation, daily priorities, my daily focus and habit I am working on, and an end of day review.
More than anything else, tracking my meals and efforts in the gym assisted me in finding my way. I know where I am, where I was. So, I can now determine what is next and where I need to go.
Take Action
I shared the story of finding my way in hopes of inspiring others. After all, we live different lives, incomparable to anyone else. What works for me may or may not work for you. In other words, figuring out what works for you in regards to nutrition and activity is essential to success. If you would like to get in contact with us, leave a comment below or email us at emails@dirtywindshield.com.
Each week, I provide an update on my carnivore and personal development journey. Subscribe to our email list for notifications on the latest articles.
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